About
I’m a Technical Program Manager at Formlabs, a 3D printing startup, with a background in mechanical engineering, robotics, and project leadership. At Formlabs, I coordinate a 50-person team to build our next-gen SLS printer and post-processing machines. On the side, I started a printer donation program that turns refurbished hardware into quarterly donations for schools and nonprofits, raising $15K in just the first quarter.
I studied mechanical engineering at MIT, concentrating in robotics and controls. While there, I founded Arcturus, MIT’s autonomous marine robotics team. As captain, I led the design of four autonomous boats that competed in three international competitions, secured $85K in funding, and built partnerships with five MIT departments and 20 companies. I focused heavily on recruiting, training, and mentorship, and by the time I graduated, our little boat team had grown into a thriving 60-person community.
My biggest strengths are in systems integration, project management, and mechanical design, but what I love most is leading teams and building things that have a positive impact on real people.
- Phone: 818-813-1880
- Email: auds2020@gmail.com
Portfolio
Check out some examples of my previous projects!
- All
- Internships and Clubs
- Class Projects
- For Fun
Resume
Education
Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering
September 2020- Februrary 2024
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Concentration in Control, Instrumentation and Robotics
Experience
MIT Arcturus Autonomous Robotics - Founder and Captain
April 2022 - December 2023
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
- Oversee all engineering and business subteams, totaling 60 members
- Assist in design and manufacturing for underwater vehicle and boat to navigate in autonomous challenges and mechanically interact with the environment
- Manage major deadlines and system integration for international competitions in Florida and Norway
- Created mentorship and sponsorship network of 20 companies, raising $75K in grants and donations in a year and a half
- Coordinate member training and onboarding
- Published paper about our autonomous boat’s low-cost electromechanical systems for OCEANS 2023
- Read more about what Arcturus is up to on our website!
Feedback - Systems Integrator
September 2023 - December 2023
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
- Led 15-person team in the development of Feedback, a cutting-edge automated feeding system for fish farms, as the capstone project for MIT Mechanical Engineering’s Product Design Processes class in only 4 weeks
- Single-handedly developed the entire software infrastructure for Feedback within a tight two-week timeframe, leveraging proficiency in CSS, HTML, JavaScript, and SQLite to create a robust web app accessible across various devices
- Integrated temperature, dissolved oxygen, and weight sensors into the Feedback system to optimize fish feeding, resulting in streamlined operations, improved fish health, reduced food waste, and lowered labor costs
- Spearheaded user research, engaging with three fish farms for testing and conducting interviews with 9 farmers, leading to invaluable insights that shaped the project’s direction and features
- Configured and tested fish food distribution mechanism, integrating feedback with PWM control
- Presented final product in front of live audience of 1,200 and 4,000+ virtual viewers
Capra Robotics - Robotic Applications Intern
June 2023 - August 2023
Aarhus, Denmark
- Developed electronics for stabilizing and aiming a hyperspectral camera using gimbal motors, encoders, and IMU
- Wrote ROS2 node enabling serial connection to gimbal motor control board for sensor publishing and positional control
- Manufacture and mechanical design of vertical lift, capable of lifting gimbal assembly from 32.5 cm to 105 cm using only off-the-shelf aluminum and 3D-printed parts
- Implemented hardware and software safety stops on lift and gimbal
NASA Orbiting Arid Subsurface and Ice Sheet Sounder (OASIS) - Intern
March 2020 - August 2020
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA
- Conducted literature review of extent and depth of Qatari aquifers
- Explored the applications and limitations of ground penetrating radar and investigated how technology from previous NASA spacecraft might be applied for OASIS
- Reported to the OASIS Project Manager weekly
- Gave final presentation to the OASIS Principal Investigator, USC professors, and Qatari representatives
NASA Drone Air Traffic Control Research - Intern
June 2019 - September 2019
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA
- Communicated and collaborated with students at Occidental College and engineers on the Mars helicopter, Ingenuity
- Researched implementation of drone technology for exploration of planets and moons
- Investigated major companies and regulatory institutions in Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management
- Reported to Project Manager weekly
NASA JPL Space Academy - Deputy
September 2018 - December 2019
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA
- Designed, built, and launched model spacecraft from the JPL Mars Yard
- Designed and oversaw international stock market simulation for mock startup companies in Google Sheets
- Oversaw and taught five consultants and 75+ students
- Collaborated with three teachers and 16 students in the Spanish division to run both academies in parallel
- Selected by director of the academy to travel to our Sister City, La Villanueva de la Cañada, Spain and represent the academy internationally
Research
Deep Sea Sediment Sampler
February 2023 - January 2024
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
- Prototyped a passive sampler to collect sediment samples from depths up to 10,000 meters in the Mariana Trench
- Designed a spring-loaded capsule that triggers as the sampler sinks into the floor, preserving the water-soil interface
- Modeled different bulk moduli of materials to ensure assembly survives pressures at Hadal depths
- Published paper on preliminary sampling boat in IEEE OCEANS 2024
Sea Perch II
January 2022 - December 2022
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
- Developed fluidic control board to control actuation of soft robotic grippers
- Organized 13 "Underwater Battlebots" outreach programs, utilizing low-cost materials to engage diverse communities in marine robotics
- Contributed to final research paper submitted to and accepted by the OCEANS 2022 Hampton Roads conference
Melbourne School of Design Robotics Lab
June 2022 - September 2022
University of Melbourne, Australia
- Designed and built 600-pound outdoor mobile robot equipped with mechanical arm for construction applications
- Programmed autonomous navigation and SLAM in ROS2 using lidar and stereo camera data
MIT Space Enabled
October 2021 - December 2021
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
- Identified specifications for drone candidates and produced method to identify water hyacinth from drone imagery
- Validated water hyacinth classification against satellite data using spectral analysis and refined data processing using orthomosaic stitching software
Ortho IQ
May 2021 - August 2021
Cambridge, MA
- Designed orthopedic medical device which uses laser displacement sensors, accelerometers, and embedded cameras to measure displacement of trunnion into femur
- Used additive manufacturing to produce mock-ups for presentation to investors
MIT HAUS
May 2021 - August 2021
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
- Performed computer-aided design and FEA of 3D-printed rPET walls in Solidworks
- Created floor plans configuring position of fixtures and appliances for utilities integration
- Developed plans for manufacturing these homes using additive manufacturing in small-scale factories in developing countries
Boston University Computational Neuroscience Department
July 2019 - August 2019
Boston University, Boston, MA
- Used MATLAB to simulate the effects of varying the amplitude and pulse width on the accuracy of information transmission through the thalamus for deep brain stimulation, a surgical treatment for advanced Parkinson’s Disease
- Presented research findings during a final symposium to professors and the general public
Publications and Awards
Publications
Deep-Sea Sediment Sampler for Hadal Depths
September 2024
Published in IEEE OCEANS 2024 and MIT Undergraduate Research Journal
Ship Happens: A Multipurpose Autonomous Surface Vehicle Testing Platform
June 2023
Published in IEEE OCEANS 2023 and MIT Undergraduate Research Journal
Propeller Characterization Testing of a Blue Robotics T200 Thruster
June 2023
Published in IEEE OCEANS 2023
Development of Educational Marine Soft Robotics STEM Platform as New Iteration of SeaPerch K-12 National Outreach Program
October 2022
Published in IEEE OCEANS 2022 and MIT Undergraduate Research Journal
Articles
MIT MechE Connects Magazine
Council for the Arts at MIT
Awards
MIT MechE De Florez Competition - 2nd Place Design
2024
Awarded for "Sea Sediment Sampler for Hadal Depths" among all research projects submitted by MIT MechE undergraduates.
National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) Honorable Mention
2024
Awarded to ~15% of candidates based on the NSF Merit Review Criteria for Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts.
The President’s Volunteer Service Award Gold
2019
Awarded to young adults for completing 250+ hours of community service in a 12-month period.
State Seal of Biliteracy for Spanish
2016
The State Seal of Biliteracy recognizes high school graduates who have attained a high level of proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing one or more languages in addition to English.
Scholarships
The Steven R. Orr Memorial Scholarship
La Cañada Thursday Club Foundation Scholarship
Glendale Area Alumnae Panhellenic Scholarship
Science National Honor Society Scholarship
Videos
MIT Comparative Media Studies/Writing
Welcome to Arcturus (Winner of the MIT in 3:00 Audience Award)
MIT Mechanical Engineering
MIT 2.009 Product Engineering Processes
Skills
Languages
Spanish, Python, JS, MATLAB, Arduino, ROS2, HTML, CSS
Manufacturing
Drill press, lathe, milling, welding, CNC, laser cutting, woodworking, glassblowing, metalsmithing
Computer-Aided Design (CAD)
Solidworks, Autodesk Inventor, Fusion 360, Onshape, Rhino
Software
Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, GIMP, Microsoft Office, Blender, Slack, GitHub